To My Sweet 7 Month Old Baby Girl

Munchkin,

This month you have been busy!!

For a few days you were super cranky, cried at the littlest things, and had the snottiest nose ever, and then last week you had two teeth pop through.  First the bottom left, then the bottom right.  You are always feeling them with your tongue, lips, fingers, and gums.  You love to say the sound "Bah!" because I think you can feel your teeth when you do.  You have been extra drooley since the teeth came through, but now you are as happy as can be again.  It's exciting, strange, and a little sad to see little teeth in your mouth when you smile at me.  It's so fun to see you growing up, but everything is going by so quickly that I find myself clinging on to everything I can, trying to hold onto my little baby, because before I know it, you will be a toddler.

You figured out crawling this month, and my goodness you keep me running after you.  You have a mischievous streak that is coming through now that you can move yourself around.  When I take showers in the morning, if you are awake I will pull you out of your crib and surround you with toys to play with while I'm gone.  Last week while I was in the shower I could hear you babbling to yourself, but then you got really quiet.  I was almost done with my shower when I heard you again, but you sounded a lot closer.  You had crawled out of your room, down the hall, and then sat in the doorway of the bathroom.  You babbled into the room as if to ask "Hey, Mom!  Are you in this room?"  I peeked out of the shower and said hi to you, and you just crawled across the room to the tub like it was no big deal.  That day you really did just wake up and decide "I'm sick of just sitting here, I will crawl today."

Now that you are crawling, nothing is safe.  You are moving faster and faster every time you try to crawl, and you want to explore and put everything in your mouth.  You love to crawl around my feet as I am cooking dinner in the kitchen, and you remind me of a little puppy. You also are starting to pull yourself up onto things, which means I'm sure you'll be bonking your head a lot more this month (you gotta learn somehow, I suppose, but I wish I could protect you from everything).

You are learning that things exist even if you can't see them.  You love playing peek a boo with me, it always makes you laugh.  You also love to drop things off of the edge of the couch or bed and then lean over to try and find it again, when you do see it, you get so excited and kick your legs and do this "excited face" where you scrunch up your nose, pucker your lips out, and breath really fast (it's adorable).  You don't understand that you could fall off and hurt yourself, though, so we have to watch you closely.

We are finally diligently starting you on solids now.  You hated them at first, but after a week of "practice" you are now opening your mouth to take a few bites before you start clenching your little gums together.  You really liked peas, you LOVED bananas, you hated the chicken puree we gave you last night (but honestly, it seems funky to me anyway), carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes are okay in your opinion, maybe you will like them more as you eat them more.  You would much rather have smaller chunks of food we are eating, so I will often give you tiny pieces of bread, or squish up some veggies we are having for dinner that night, and you love that.

You are such a happy baby, and I love being your mommy.  I am so blessed to be able to hang out with you all day every day.  Daddy just finished school this week, so he will have a lot more time this summer to play with you, and he is so excited!  This summer will be our funnest summer yet!

Until next month,
Love,
Mommy

To My Sweet 6 Month Old Baby Girl

Smiley Sadie,

This month you are go-go-go.

One morning you woke up and you decided "I think I'll sit up today," and then you were just sitting.  You are pretty darn steady too, you've hardly ever fallen over, and even when you do you have never cried.  Your favorite thing to do is to sit in front of a pile of toys and pick each one up, cover it with slobbers, and then put it down.  You look like such a big girl sitting up, I had a few moments where I panicked that you are growing up too fast.  I have to keep reminding myself that you are getting more and more fun the older you get, and that it is okay, great even, that you are learning new "big girl" things.

You love to be on your hands and knees now.  You do something we call "rocky-rocky" where you rock back and forth from your head to your bum.  I laugh at this because I spent a lot of time at college studying the fundamentals of movement, and how babies all start moving, and you are taking the exact steps in movement I learned, and you are fantastic at them.  It is so cute because I think you can even understand me, because you will be on your hands and knees just looking at me and I'll say "Hey Sweetie, could you show me your rocky-rocky?" and you just take off, rocking away, only to stop and look up at me and smile as if to say "Hey Mom, look, I'm doing it!"  You also love to get your feet up underneath you and do something that looks a lot like the yoga pose "downward dog."  You can get up and down from that, but you can't figure out how to move your arms too.  I can tell that you are so incredibly close to crawling.  I'm waiting for that morning that you just wake up and decide to do it, and then there will be no stopping you, you will be crawling everywhere.

You are a determined little girl.  If you want something, you will figure out a way to get it.  If it is a toy just out of reach, you will scooch, roll, and reach your way over there to get it, and you are so proud of yourself when you accomplish your goal.  Hang on to that quality, sweet girl.  Set good goals, and don't be afraid to work for them.

You have become extra wiggly this month.  You usually think it's pretty annoying to be held in my lap anymore, but you love to be sitting next to me.  If I try to hold you, you will just squirm and twist around until I put you down.  However, you hate being by yourself.  If you can see me in the same room as you, you are fine, but if you see me walk away from you, you panic and start to fuss.

Braxton is your favorite cousin right now.  He can make you laugh better than anyone in the family, including your daddy or me.  You think he is absolutely hilarious, and he loves that you give him so much attention.  You usually see him a few times a week, and I love watching him play with you.

We have been working on baby signs with you for a few months, and this morning you may or may not have showed me your first sign back.  You were laying on my bed and I looked at you and you reached out your hand and squeezed it shut like the sign for "milk."  When I asked if you wanted milk, doing the sign back, you got very excited.  I don't know if it was a coincidence or not, but I like to think that maybe you are picking it up and beginning to understand.

A funny little trait you have picked up this month is you are always sticking your little tongue out, especially if you are concentrating on something, just like your daddy.  I think you are so dang cute like this, and can't get enough of watching you do it.  You also love to pat your hands on things...your knee, the floor, your toys, me, whatever is near you.  It's like you're saying "Hey, I like this thing right here."

You love your baths so much! You could lay and sit in the water for an hour and be happy to just splash around.  We should probably get you some bath toys, huh?  You love getting me wet with your splashes.  You will kick the water and splash me in the face and then laugh and laugh.

You are keeping me on my toes, little one.  I can't believe I ever survived without you in my life.  You are the best thing that has ever happened to our family, and I am so glad I get to be your mommy.  Thanks for choosing us for your family!
I love you,
Mommy

To My Sweet 5 Month Old Baby Girl

Sweet Girl,

This month was a month of lots of fun with you. Some of my favorite highlights of this month have been:

• Taking you on your first road trip to Flaming Gorge.  You loved Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Flinders so much.  You loved sitting on their laps and talking to them.  They are almost completely deaf, so I'm not sure if they heard you, but they loved singing you songs and talking to you and just enjoying your sweet company.
• Watching you became a professional roller.  I used to leave you on the bed to do quick things, like take a shower, or load the dishwasher, or switch over a load of laundry.  You used to only roll once, and then stop, but after I ran to the bathroom to brush my teeth and came back to find you right on the edge of the bed, we had to stop doing that.  
• You sat in your first high chair at "Dairy Keen" in Heber.  You are so tiny that we had to shove a sweatshirt behind you to keep you from slipping all over the place, but you thought you were pretty dang cool sitting up with all the adults.
• You love to hang upside down and look around the room. You will lean back in our laps until you are looking upside down and then laugh and laugh.
• You also are starting to recognize when Daddy is coming in from school.  You hear the front door open and close and then start looking around, kicking your legs with excitement, for Daddy.  You love him so much, and I love watching you two together.
• You LOVE blowing spit bubbles.  You are constantly a drooly, wet mess because of your constant bubble blowing.  
• You have also discovered your voice this month.  While you are sitting in your bouncer in the kitchen while I cook dinner, you will chatter away at me the entire time.  I can't stop laughing at you, and you think it's pretty great to be getting attention, so you keep talking my ear off.
• You love to be naked, so every morning I will take off your jammies and change your diaper, but then I will bring you into our room and let you lay on our bed and wiggle around for a few minutes before getting you dressed.  You are all smiles during your morning "nakey time" and I love giggling at you.

You are such a content baby, and I love being your mommy.  It takes a lot for you to cry, and you are usually all smiles and giggles while you are awake.  I love you so much I can hardly stand it!

Love,

Mommy

To My Sweet 4 Month Old Baby Girl

Baby Girl,

Your personality is starting to shine more and more, and it makes it so much fun to be your mommy.  You have learned so much this month, and it is seriously the coolest thing ever to watch.

The day after Christmas, you rolled over for the first time.  I was sitting in the basement with Grandma Deana at her house, and you just rolled over from your tummy to your back, like it was no big deal.  I got so excited about it though, I think I scared you because your eyes got all big and you looked very worried.  You don't do it all the time, but you do try so hard to roll from your back to your front.  We will lay you on your back and show you our phone, then we drag the phone so it is above your head, and you'll arch your little back to look up at it.  You can get your legs to roll over, but you can't figure out how to get your elbow out of the way so you can end up on your tummy.  You'll figure it out soon though, I'm sure of it.

You like tummy time a lot more than you have in the past.  You can hold your head up so strong, and even reach out to grab a toy in front of you.  You love toys now, and can hold onto them and bring them to your mouth.  We think you might be in the early phases of teething because you like to chew on everything, but your most favorite thing to chew on are your own fingers.  This, sweet girl, drives me a little batty. You are constantly a slobbery, wet (and cold) mess.  You suck and chew on your fingers basically from the second you wake up, to the second you fall asleep.  You aren't picky about which fingers get in your mouth, in fact, sometimes you will stack your hands on top of each other and chew on all ten of them at once, gagging yourself the whole time.  We try to stop you, but you don't seem to listen.

This month we found out you have a bit of acid reflux, and you're on some medicine to help that.  You spit up a lot now, and I constantly smell like puke.  Not my favorite, but you're too cute to get upset at.  The medicine is helping a little, I think.  You spit up, but you don't fuss as much about your tummy hurting.  Hopefully you will stop spitting up so much, though, because you are a tiny little bug, and seem to be struggling a bit to gain weight.  You are about 55% for height, but only 5% for weight, and you're dropping lower every month.  What can I say though, with Logan for a daddy, you're bound to be tall and skinny.

You laugh and chatter all the time.  Daddy and I can't get enough of it either.  You also recognize us and prefer us over other people now.  Grandma Ilene will be holding you as you scream, but then I pick you up and you settle right down.  You love it when Daddy comes home from school or work, because that means it's play time!  He will "fly" you all around the apartment, sing songs to you, or get down on the floor with you to play with your toys.  He loves you more than life, and you have him wrapped so tightly around your baby (slobbery) fingers.

I love being your mommy.  I try to tell you I love you, kiss you, and snuggle you about a trillion times a day.  I feel like I'll blink and all of the sudden you'll be 12 and too cool to snuggle with your mommy, so I'm doing my best to soak it in.  I'm so glad I'm your mommy, and I'm so glad you chose to be my daughter.  I feel like I'm finally adjusting to my new normal of hanging out with a baby all day, rather than running around from school to work and back again like I have been for the past ten years or so.  Sometimes I miss my old life, but honestly, I would never trade it in a million years.  I get to hang out with you, my bestest buddy, and cutest friend all day long.  Plus, you seem really like me too, which makes me feel like a total rock star.

I love you so much my rib cage might just explode from trying to hold it all in.  I love you so much, sometimes I think I might have to scream it from a roof top.  I love you so much that sometimes I have to remind myself to not squeeze you too tight.  You are amazing, little girl.  I'm learning lots, and you are patient with me.

More love than you could ever imagine (until you have your own baby),
Mommy

To My Sweet 3 Month Old Baby Girl

My Little Sweetums,

I literally call you "Sweetums" so many times a day, you are probably confused at what your name is.  I can't help myself because you really are the sweetest thing in my world.  I am that annoying mother who thinks their child is the most perfect being to grace the planet...except I don't think, I know you actually are.  Don't let it go to your head little one.

This month we had...constipation issues.  Yes, it is true.  Thank goodness for brave Grandma Ilene, who came to your rescue many a time to help you poop with torturous ways like glycerin suppositories.  I'm sorry, your mommy is a chicken still...but Grandma is brave, brave, brave.  I think we are on the up and up on that issue, though.  You are pooping more regularly...please keep it up.  And please don't hate me in the future for posting about your potty habits on the web.  Thank you dear one.

You are seriously the dang cutest thing I have ever laid eyes on.  When you came home from the hospital, I swore you would NEVER be as cute as you were those first few days, and I seriously mourned that you would get bigger and not be as cute.  Oh my, was I ever wrong.  Yes, Sweetums, you were darling then, but you are sooooooo much cuter now than I could have ever imagined.  You smile ALL THE TIME.  Your most favorite things to smile at this month are Christmas Lights, Daddy and me, and other little kids.  You love your cousins, especially Bailey and Avery (my side of the family's Avery, not the one that is coming down from heaven next week).  They are both almost 2 years old, and love to giggle, love, and snuggle on you, and you love smiling at them.  Yesterday while I was reading the mail, you were squealing at the pictures of them on their Christmas cards on the fridge.  I love that you already love other babies and children.  I feel like you still remember all your siblings up in Heaven, and you are excited to have other children in your life more regularly.  Give your parents a few years to get our feet back under us again from having you though, please.  But trust me, I'm excited to meet them too.  I'm sure they are just as awesome as you.

You are usually sleeping through the night now!!  You go down at around 8, wake up at 11 to eat, and then don't wake up again until 7:30 the next morning.  It rocks my world.  I am seriously loving it!  I am so proud of you for sleeping for so long!

You are still a petite little thing.  Haven't gained much weight or length from your 2 month appointment, the doctor told us to keep an eye on that for next month (you have barely cracked 10 pounds, and are 22 inches long).  But you eat lots, and you don't spit up a ton, so I don't know where all this milk is going!  Grow my little one! (But at the same time, not too fast)

You laughed a little at Daddy yesterday.  He was singing Alvin and the Chipmunk's "Christmas Song" to you, and whenever he would sing the words "hula hoop" you would laugh at him.  We basically melted with joy over this.  It was seriously the cutest, most bestest sound I have ever heard in this life.  I look forward to when you giggle more, sweet thing.

You snuggle lots.  You are recognizing other people.  You love watching Baby Einstein videos.  You love having us read books to you.  You go back and forth about liking or detesting your binkie.  You are a full fledged hand sucker...we tried to deter you from that, but you fought us on that, and won the battle.  You are very, very sweet.  Most of all, you are probably the most loved baby I have ever met, and don't you forget it!!  I say this all the time, but seriously, thank you for coming to our family.  I can't even imagine my life without you in it anymore.  I am so stoked I get to be your mommy forever!!

Love,
Your #1 Fan,
Mommy

To My Sweet 2 Month Old Baby Girl

My Sweet Sadiebug,

You are two months old.  When did this happen?  Half of me feels like we've had you forever and ever, and half of me feels like just ten minutes ago I was feeling you move around in my tummy.

This month you started to smile real, honest to goodness smiles, and you talk to us a little.  You are starting to get more on a schedule, which I am loving because I can predict your day a bit better than I could at the beginning.  You wake up around 7:30, eat, get a diaper change, and then we play.  You usually take 2 shorter naps in the morning, and then one longer and one shorter nap in the afternoon.  We pick up Daddy from work at 7, and you are so nice to stay awake and play with him until around 8:30, and then you go to sleep for the night.  You usually sleep until about 2 or 3, which means I am getting more sleep too (thank you), but I am still just awaiting the day you decide to sleep through the night.

You are so friendly and love to be held, talked to, and played with.  Last week Grandma Deana gave you a toy rattle and you actually held on to it, and cooed with delight.  You love the bouncer seat with the toy bar above it, and you love to bat at the little toy animals that hang down.  You talk to them too, like they are your friends.  You have started to sit up in your Bumbo, and love to sit in that while I cook dinner, watching me walk all around the kitchen.  This month you also discovered the Minnie Mouse magnet on our fridge, and love to sit close to her and look at her.  This, sweet Sadie, makes me so happy.  You may look like your daddy, but perhaps you have my personality in there, and with it a deep love for all things Disney.

Speaking of Disney, you were dressed up as Tinkerbell for Halloween, and you were the darn cutest little fairy I have ever seen.  I wish I could have bottled up your cuteness that day, because it made me extra giddy seeing you in your little costume.

You are holding your head up so good.  I seriously can't believe how strong you are getting!!  You always like to look around, checking the place out, and already do not like being held laying down because I don't think you can see as much.  When you are tired, and I'm holding you over my shoulder, you love to lift your head up, look around the room, and then snuggle your little head on my shoulder for a little rest.  I melt every single time you do this.  It never gets old.

You had your baby blessing this past Sunday.  Grandma Ilene made your blessing dress, and you were so gorgeous in it.  You were so good for the blessing, didn't make a peep the whole time.  Your daddy was nervous to give you his first blessing, but he did a wonderful job, and the spirit was so strong.  All eight of your grandparents came for the blessing, along with all your aunts, uncles, and cousins.  You are so loved by so many people, you lucky duck baby girl.

You got your two month shots yesterday afternoon, and I cried in the doctor's office longer than you did.  You got poked, and did a very loud scream, and I started to bawl.  By the time I picked you up and snuggled you, you had stopped crying, but it wasn't until after I had fed you, gotten you dressed, and back in your car seat that I finally stopped crying myself.  Later that night, though, was a different story.  You broke out in a fever, and cried hysterically for two hours straight.  It was no fun to watch you not feel well, knowing there wasn't anything I could do to take the pain away from you.  I snuggled with you all evening, hoping that maybe it would make you more comfortable and help you not feel alone.  When I am sick, I still want my mommy, so I wanted to be there for you. Just so you know, I will always be there for you, no matter what.

You are the most perfect little girl I could have ever asked for to be my daughter.  You have such a strong, sweet, and loving spirit.  Your personality is starting to show, and I can't wait to get to know you better this month.  I love you one billion percent, my sweet angel!

Love,
Mommy

To My Sweet 1 Month Old Baby Girl

My Sweet Sadie,

One month ago I became your mommy.  This month has been seriously the fastest month of my life!!  Half of me feels like we've had you forever, and I can hardly remember what my life was like before you, but the other half of me feels like you were just born 10 minutes ago, and the thought that you are already a month old boggles my brains.

You are still the sweetest, most precious baby EVER.  You love to cuddle.  You love to be talked to.  You love being around people, and get lonely if you're in your bassinet or in a room by yourself.  You might have smiled your first smile yesterday, but I'm not sure.

You sometimes sleep 4-5 hours in a row at night, and I love that.  However, sometimes you sleep for only 2 hours in a row at night, and I don't so much love that.  You have had a few rough days this month with baby gas.  Sometimes you fart and scare yourself awake, and cry and cry and cry.  I'm not going to lie, your daddy and I laugh a little, but we snuggle you until you feel better so you don't think we're mean.

You are more awake now, and like to look around.  You love to wiggle your little legs and arms all over the place, like you're figuring out how to work your body.  You love your binky, but only if Daddy or I hold in in for you.  You love sitting up against our tummies and checking the place out.  You love getting passed around the family and getting snuggly loves from everyone.  You are so girly already and love getting primped and pampered--you love taking baths, getting your hair washed, and having your nails clipped.  You hate having your diaper changed, or having shirts pulled over your head.  You also hate being put down, which makes it hard for me to get things done around the house, but luckily you love your baby sling, so we do our chores together with you snuggled against my chest.  You  make so many little grunts and squeaks.  You snore when you sleep, but you sound like a little puppy.  It's basically the most adorable thing ever.

You already weigh 8 lbs. 2 oz. and are 22 inches long.  85% for height, 25% for weight--you are our tall and skinny girl.  No surprise there, your daddy is also very tall and skinny!

I am so excited that it is starting to get chilly, you have so many cute Fall and Halloween clothing, I love dressing you up every day.  You are my real life dolly.  I don't even really mind when you blow out your diaper or spit up all over yourself, because then I get to dress you up all over again!!

Thank you so much for choosing me as your mommy.  I'm learning, and you are patient, and for that I am grateful.  On a scale from 1 to 10, I love you one billion.

Love,
Mommy